Morphosis Architects has revealed their designs for a new headquarters for manufacturing corporation The Kolon Group to be located in in emerging Magok district of Seoul, South Korea. Part of a revitalization effort fostered by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to turn the area into a new “industrial ecosystem,” the four-acre project will sit adjacent to Magok’s central park, becoming the district’s first major completed building.

A diverse corporation that began its life as a nylon manufacturer, the Kolon Group now comprises 38 divisions ranging from textiles to chemicals to sustainable technologies to fashion. To support this myriad of focuses, Kolon required an expansive, yet consolidated R & D campus that could bring together researchers, leadership and designers into a single location housing flexible laboratory facilities, executive office and active social spaces to encourage interaction and the exchange of ideas throughout the company.

To achieve these goals, Morphosis has designed a folding, high-tech building organized around a grand entry and multi-story atrium. Research laboratories are placed into three wings that extend out from the voluminous social mass, which angles down toward the park to provide shading to the lower floors. Along the street level, flagship retail and exhibition galleries will draw in visitors and communicate the brand’s products to the public.

A transparent ground plane at the entrance draws the landscape into the interior, with natural light directing visitors through an open pedestrian laneway into the the grand entry and social center. Movement will be on display throughout the the 30 meter tall, 100 meter long atrium, as well as a massive system of 8 meter “stretchers” that will display a range of Kolon-made fabrics.

The use of Kolon products continues to the building exterior, where the distinctive brise-soleil system on the western facade utilizes a GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic) formulation containing of Kolon’s high-tech Aramid fabric to create a performative and symbolic feature for the building. The system has been parametrically shaped to optimize shading and views.

The design was also approached with environmental sustainability in mind, with measures including green roofs, recycled materials, and a bubble deck slab that reduces the amount of concrete used by 30%.

“The performance of the building was approached as a holistic concept encompassing energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship, working in concert with education and employee health and wellbeing,” explain the architects. “Along with goals for LEED Gold and the most rigorous sustainability certification in Korea, the project focuses on the quality of the work environment through roof terraces, courtyards, and other measures that increase access to natural light and air for employees.”